Amnesia
by simplyxamazing
Summary: Because maybe the truth is, you don't want to remember. BB
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** Sadly I don't own any part of Bones.

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"Bones!" Seeley Booth called throughout the empty corridors of the Jeffersonian. It was fifteen minutes until midnight, and Temperance had promised to meet him an hour earlier. When she didn't show up, he proceeded to call her house and then her cell phone, neither of which she had answered. Booth then called Angela, who told him that she was most likely still working on their current case. This was the reason why Booth was currently frantically searching the Jeffersonian for his partner whom no one had heard from in over two hours. 

"Bones!" He called again, this time slightly louder. He received no reply, and continued moving toward the lab. He ducked his head in, but found that all the lights were off and everything had been cleaned up. A loud crashing noise came from the direction of her office, and Booth quickly pulled out his gun and walked swiftly toward the closed door. He took a deep breath and then quickly pushed the door open, his gun raised and pointed directly into the room. Temperance lay unmoving on the floor beside her desk. Shards of glass and water were scattered around her, and a bouquet of wet roses lay limply by her side. Booth quickly rushed over to her and checked for a pulse. It was faint, but she was still alive.

A light breeze brushed across his face, and he looked up to see the window open and the blinds blowing softly in the wind. He walked swiftly to the window and searched for a sign of movement, but all he could see was darkness. Ignoring the voice in his head telling him to find and kill the person who did this, Booth returned to Temperance's side. He quickly scooped her up into his arms, and walked out to his car, where he placed her in the back seat. Strands of hair fell in front of her face, and he gently pushed them back behind her ear.

"Please be okay." He whispered before getting into the drivers seat. He drove quickly to the hospital and took frequent looks back at her. When he arrived, he again scooped her up into his arms and carefully took her in. A doctor noticed him right away.

"I need a stretcher!" he called, and within moments a nurse wheeled one directly in front of him. In an almost trance-like state, Booth placed Temperance gently onto it and watched as the doctor wheeled her through the emergency room double doors. The nurse placed her hand gently on his shoulder.

"She's going to be fine." She told him reassuringly. Booth nodded, though in his mind he was thinking _'you get paid to tell me that.'_

"You can sit in the waiting room if you'd like." She told him. "The doctor will see you when he's done." Booth nodded for the second time, and went and sat in the waiting room. He placed his head in his hands, and closed his eyes. His phone rang and he answered it, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Booth."

"Did you find her? Is she okay?" Angela's voice asked from the other line. Booth sighed.

"She's…" he trailed off for a moment. "She's in the hospital." He told her. He heard Angela's sharp intake of breath.

"But she's going to be okay, right?" Angela asked, like she needed his assurance.

"I don't know." He told her, though it killed him to say so. Angela was silent, and Booth regretted that he didn't know how to comfort her.

"I'm going to call everyone else." Angela whispered in a strained voice. "We'll be there soon." She told him and then hung up. Booth slowly closed his phone and went back to his previous position. All he could do now was wait.

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	2. Visitors

A light shone brightly in her face. She could feel the warmth radiating from it. Or was the warmth coming from her hand? She couldn't tell. Her head was pounding and her mind was groggy. Where was she?

Better yet, _who _was she?

She stirred slightly and found that the movement only made the pain worse. A slight pressure on her hand made her eyes flutter open. It took her eyes a minute to become accustomed to the bright light, so she opened and closed them rapidly until it was no longer painful. When they finally focused, she found that a man sat slumped back in a chair beside the bed she was currently occupying. His eyes were closed, but his hand held hers tightly. It wasn't until now that she realized exactly how tightly. She tried to remove her hand slowly from his grasp, but that only succeeded in making him wake. He blinked quickly and let go of her hand. She immediately found that she missed the warmth it had brought her, and wondered why she felt so comfortable in his presence when she had no idea who he was.

"Bones." He stated, obviously relived. "You're awake." His body seemed to relax at this revelation, and his mouth curved into a slight smile. He looked somewhat disheveled, as if he had spent more than just a few hours slumped in the chair. So far she had been able to conclude that this man cared for her, so she believed she could trust him. However, she wasn't exactly sure what "Bones" meant.

"Bones?" She questioned and found that her voice was hoarse. It was if she hadn't talked in days. The man's face fell.

"Right." He stated as if he had forgotten something. "You don't know."

"Know what?" She asked. She felt certain that she could've answered this question for herself, and was pondering it when it suddenly hit her.

"I have amnesia, don't I?" She asked before he could respond. The man forced a smile.

"Leave it to Bones to know exactly what's going on when she's lying in a hospital bed with no memory of her life." He said, though she knew it was more to his self than to her.

"So I'm right?" She asked confusingly. The man nodded.

"So I guess you're probably wondering who I am, huh?" He asked softly.

"Actually, I'm more interested in who I am."She replied. The man sighed.

"You're Dr. Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist. I'm your partner, FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth. You usually just call me Booth, though." He explained. She was thinking that his explanation didn't exactly tell her much, but noticed this situation already seemed painful enough for him, so she didn't ask for him to explain further.

"Okay." She said. Booth stood up, clearly uncomfortable.

"Do you want something? A coffee maybe?" He asked. She shrugged.

"Do I like coffee?" She asked. Booth's face held a pained expression and he opened his mouth to respond when a group of people walked into the room.

"Sweetie, I'm so glad you're okay." A young woman said—a little too loudly in Temperance's opinion—and then proceeded to hug her.

"Do I know you?" Temperance asked in the gentlest way possible. These four people obviously had no idea what condition she was in. The young woman looked taken aback and turned to Booth questioningly, as did the other three. He opened his mouth to reply, but Temperance cut him off.

"I have amnesia." She stated bluntly. Booth turned towards her.

"I was getting to it." He said. She shrugged.

"Well, you were taking too long. Besides, it's not as if I'm dying. I just lost my memory." She stated factually. He seemed to have a comeback prepared, but at the last minute changed his mind and remained silent. Temperance had the strangest feeling that normally he would've spoke up.

"How did this happen?" The other woman asked. A very young looking man spoke next.

"Amnesia is caused by damage to the brain either by trauma, disease, or the use of certain sedative drugs. She most likely suffers from retrograde amnesia, which means she will be able to recall every event from this point on."

"Thank you, Zach," the other man said sarcastically. He was holding the woman's hand who had hugged Temperance earlier. "But I don't think that's what she meant."

"Then why did she ask?" Zach asked annoyed. The other man shook his head, and turned towards Booth.

"What she meant was--"

"Hold on." Temperance practically yelled. Her head was already killing her, and she had been racking her brain for the names of these people for the past five minutes.

"First of all, like I said before, I'm not dead. So stop acting like I'm not sitting right in front of you." She felt her pulse throbbing painfully in the back of her head. Still, she pressed on. "And second of all, I would really appreciate it if you told me your names." She leaned back on the bed and took a deep breath. The young woman dropped the man's hand and walked towards Temperance, placing her hand lightly on her arm.

"Sweetie, I'm sorry. We didn't mean…" she trailed off and then sighed. "I'm Angela Montenegro." She said and then motioned to the man whose hand she had been previously holding. "This is Jack Hodgins," she motioned to the other woman, "Cam Saroyan," the young man stepped forward, "And Zach Addy." Temperance nodded and clutched her head.

"Are you okay?" Booth asked, concern written on his face. Temperance faked a smile.

"I'm fine. It's just a little headache." She replied.

"So what caused her particular case of amnesia?" Cam asked, casting a wary glance in Zach's direction. Temperance sat up—she was interested in this as well.

"I found her unconscious on the floor of her office. There was a bouquet of wet roses on the ground, and shards of glass were everywhere. The doctor's said she had suffered a major blow to the head." Booth told them, purposely avoiding Temperance's gaze.

"So it was intentional." Cam stated. Booth nodded.

"The window was open. Whatever bastard did this knocked her out and fled. He must've heard me yelling."

"Or she." Temperance interrupted. Booth shot her a confused look.

"Why do you automatically assume the culprit was male? A woman of the right build and strength could've just as easily knocked me out." She replied.

"She doesn't seem any different to me." Zach muttered. A loud knock on the door suddenly sounded, and everyone turned towards it. A tall, grey-haired doctor entered the room and glanced at each of the visitors.

"Forgive me, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave." He told them. "She needs her rest, and visiting hours were over fifteen minutes ago." Booth placed his hand on her arm.

"I'll be back tomorrow to pick you up." He told her, and then the five of them left. When the room was vacated, Temperance couldn't help but feeling lonely. The doctor smiled down at her and asked her how she was, but she barely heard. Her eyelids were involuntarily fluttering closed, and within moments she was fast asleep.

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**_review please :)_**


	3. Square One

"This is it." Booth told Temperance once they reached the apparent door to her apartment. He stared at her as if he was hoping she'd remember something. Feeling uncomfortable, she looked away and stared at the door.

"How exactly do we get in? I don't have any keys." She told him. Booth shrugged

"I could kick down the door." He stated calmly and began to roll up his sleeves. Temperance turned and looked at him incredulously.

"Or," he said, his face breaking into a wide grin, "We could use the keys I got from your office." He held them up in front of her face. She smiled and shook her head, then watched as he fumbled with the keys, finally finding the right one. The door clicked open, and he walked in. She couldn't help but noticing that he seemed to know his way around. He went straight to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

"You want something to drink?" He asked. Temperance didn't even hear him and stood frozen in the threshold of the door. She looked around the room for anything that seemed familiar. It seemed as if she lived alone. Honestly, it didn't even look as if _she_ lived there. The place was the perfect image of cleanliness, and nothing looked out of place. From what she could see, there was a couch and a table that was adjourned with pictures. The living room connected to two other rooms and the kitchen.

"Bones?" Booth called when she didn't respond. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and walked into the room, closing the door behind her.

"Why do you call me Bones?" She asked him as he got her out a bottle of water. She took a sip of it, and then stared at him questioningly. He shrugged.

"It suits you." He stated. She wondered why he had chosen to be so vague with her. Ever since she woke up, she hadn't received a straight answer from him. Temperance sighed and walked over to the table. Booth followed closely behind.

The first picture she came to was of Angela and Hodgins. Their hands were linked, and their faces bore identical smiles. It looked as if Angela was in a wedding dress.

"They're married?" Temperance asked Booth. Booth laughed and shook his head.

"It's a long story." He replied. She turned to face him.

"So tell me." She said, her voice carrying a slightly demanding tone. Booth looked away and started moving toward the kitchen. She quickly grabbed his arm and moved herself in front of him.

"Why are you being so evasive?" She questioned. "I know we were close. You were there when I woke up, and you know your way around my apartment." Booth still avoided her gaze.

"Why won't you talk to me?" She demanded. Booth freed himself from her grasp and finally looked up to face her.

"You want to know why?" He asked angrily. "Because you're not you. You may look like Bones and talk like Bones, but you're not Bones!" He yelled at her. Temperance looked taken aback and took a few steps backward. "You can't remember me or any other part of your life. You don't know what kind of relationship we had before. And you know what? That scares the hell out of me." His voice had dropped towards the end of his speech.

"You want to know why that scares me?" He asked her, his voice barely audible. Temperance could feel tears forming in her eyes, but she blinked them away and nodded.

"Because it means we're back to square one." He told her. Temperance didn't know how to respond, so she remained silent, but moved towards him.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. He nodded and smiled slightly.

"Me too." He whispered back. He walked away, and she figured he was leaving, so she turned back around to look at the pictures. There were a few more of Angela and Hodgins, and some with Zack. She didn't recognize any other of the people in the photographs, and sighed in frustration. She then realized that she never heard a door open or close, and turned around. Booth lay on her couch with a blanket on top of him.

"What are you doing?" She asked him. He smirked.

"Going to sleep. What does it look like I'm doing?" He asked her.

"You're staying here?" She asked, confused. Booth shrugged.

"Someone's got to take you to work." He replied. "Your car is still at the Jeffersonian." She nodded.

"Right. Well…goodnight." She said and then started towards her room. She turned off all the lights, and went to reach for the door knob of her room when she heard Booth's voice.

"She's married." He stated. Temperance turned around.

"What?" She asked.

"Angela." He replied. "On their wedding day, they discovered Angela was already married. It meant that their wedding was therefore illegal, and so they ran and had their honeymoon. The picture was taken right after that."

Temperance smiled.

"That wasn't so long." She told him. She heard him change positions on the couch.

"Goodnight, Bones." He whispered.

"Goodnight, Booth." Temperance whispered back and then slowly turned the knob of the door to her room. She flicked the light switch and although she hoped she would recognize something, nothing was familiar. She went through her closest and drawers trying to find something to sleep in. She found her sock drawer and discovered that there was a folded-up piece of paper in the back right corner. It looked as if it was a page that had been torn from a book. Carefully unfolding it, she began to read.

_Dear Booth,_

_Hodgins decided we should write a letter to the people we cared about, and I was too tired to argue, so here it goes:_

_I'm not afraid of dying. If you're wondering if I was scared, the answer is no. Being buried alive wasn't the worst scenario I had imagined. _

_I think I cared too much for you and the team, and too little for the people I was trying to give justice. To me, they were just bones--a compound of tissues. It never occurred to me that one day I could be in their place. I guess dying can really put things in perspective._

_You blame yourself for my death, I know you do. You need to know that it's not your fault. I don't want to die knowing that you're going to feel guilty for the rest of your life._

_I don't have much time left, and there's something I need you to know._

_I don't know what happened, or when it did, but somehow you became the person that meant the most to me. I love Angela as if she was my sister, but there's just something different about our relationship and the relationship I have with you. It's something unreasonable and unexplainable, but it's there and I don't know why. __I wish I would've had more time to figure it out._

The writing had reached the end of the front of the page, so Temperance turned it over. A group of words was written lightly on the first line.

_I'm not afraid of dying. I'm afraid of losing you._

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**_sorry it took me so long to update, I've been really busy the last couple of days._**

**_anyways...you know what to do :)_**


	4. The Flower Shoppe

It was 7:30 in the morning and Temperance sat in the passenger side of Booth's SUV. She stared out of the window and watched as all the unfamiliar sights passed by. The letter she had found the previous night was tucked in her right back pocket. It brought her a sense of familiarity and comfort. Still, she wondered exactly what had happened.

"I was buried alive, wasn't I?" She asked Booth suddenly. He stopped sipping his coffee and turned towards her.

"You remembered?" He asked hopefully. She shook her head.

"Not exactly." She replied and watched as his face fell. "I found a note I wrote to you when I was buried with Hodgins." Booth was silent for a moment and stared straight ahead.

"Can I read it?" He asked, his face expressionless. Temperance went to reach for the note, but stopped suddenly and placed her hand in her lap.

"I don't think I would've hid it if I wanted you to read it." She told him gently. Booth nodded in understandment.

"What exactly happened?" She asked him. Booth sighed.

"We were chasing a serial killer that we called the Grave Digger. He kidnapped you and Hodgins and buried you underground in your car." He told her.

"How did we escape?" She asked, clearly intrigued.

"You managed to send me a coded text message of your location, and Zach was able to analyze it. We got there as quick as we could, and I saw something that looked like an explosion coming from underground. You had figured out a way to blast the windshield using explosives from the airbag. We began digging and pulled you out to safety." He said. Temperance watched as they pulled into the parking lot of a huge building.

"Why do I get the feeling that I get kidnapped often?" She asked him as they unbuckled their seat belts. Booth laughed.

"Because you do." He told her and then walked around the car to open the door for her.

"But that's what you've got me for." He said as they walked towards the building. It was much larger than she imagined, and conveyed a gloomy feeling.

"So this is the Jeffersonian." She stated blankly. Booth nodded as they entered through the doors. She followed him through a few halls into what seemed to be a lab. Angela, Hodgins, and Zach stood around a steel table staring at a skeletal corpse. Zach was the first to look up.

"Dr. Brennan." He stated, surprised. Angela and Hodgins looked up simultaneously and Angela smiled.

"Hey Sweetie. How are you?" She asked. Temperance unconsciously moved closer to Booth.

"I'm fine." She stated. "I still can't remember anything." Booth moved farther into the room.

"Did you find anything?" He asked. Temperance noted that the question was directed at Hodgins. Hodgins shook his head.

"The shards of glass were gone by the time we got here. Whoever did it was extremely careful not to leave any incriminating evidence." He told Booth. Booth clenched his jaw and turned to Angela. She shook her head apologetically.

"There was no forced entry or any sign of a struggle." She told him. "Brennan knew and trusted her attacker." Temperance hadn't realized they were talking about her until Angela's statement.

"And I'm the only witness, right?" She asked, though she already knew the answer. Angela nodded sadly.

"So we have no leads?" Booth asked angrily. Zach shook his head and handed Booth a small card.

"This was tucked in the bouquet of red roses." He told Booth. Booth read the card aloud.

"The Flower Shoppe." He said. "I guess it's a start. Luckily there's an address written on the card."

Just then Cam walked in. A sudden bad feeling washed over Temperance and she had no idea why.

"I don't think I like you." She stated bluntly.

"Well, hello to you too." Cam replied. Temperance shook her head.

"I didn't mean it like that. It's just--you're my boss, right?" She asked. Cam nodded.

"Who told you?" She asked. Everyone shook their heads.

"No one." Temperance told her. "I just remembered." She then turned towards Booth. "You used to date each other." She stated. Cam nodded.

"We broke up months ago." She told Temperance. "Booth felt like his personal life shouldn't be involved in his professional one."

"Okay." Booth interrupted. "I think that's enough of the trip down memory lane." Temperance looked at him confusingly. He shook his head and placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her forward.

"We have a flower shop to get to."

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A teenage girl stood at the counter of The Flower Shoppe listening to her ipod. She pulled the earphones out when she noticed Booth and Temperance approaching.

"Can I help you?" She asked politely. Booth held out his badge.

"I'm with the FBI. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions." He said. His voice carried an authoritative tone, and his face was stern.

"O-Okay." The girl replied. It was obvious she was nervous.

"Don't worry." Temperance said. "You're not in trouble." The girl's shoulders relaxed and she smiled slightly.

"Good to know." She said. Booth glanced fleetingly at Temperance and then turned back to the girl.

"Do you have records of all the deliveries made in the past week?" He asked. The girl nodded and bent down behind the counter. She pulled out a large book and laid it in front of Booth.

"Are you looking for a specific person and address?" She asked him. Booth nodded.

"Dr. Temperance Brennan at the Jeffersonian Institute." He told her. The girl flipped through the pages of the book before finally finding the right one.

"Six days ago, around 6:00, a guy placed an order for twelve red roses to be delivered to Temperance Brennan. He requested that they be delivered the next morning." She told them.

"Did he give you his name?" Booth asked. The girl nodded.

"Kyle." She told him. "But he didn't say his last name."

"Do you remember what he looked like?" Booth asked. The girl bit her lip and shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I see a lot of people every day. It's impossible to remember what they all look like." She said. Booth nodded.

"Thanks for your help." He told her and then they left the flower shop. Temperance got back in his car and stared unblinkingly out of the windshield.

"Angela said I knew and trusted my attacker, right?" She asked Booth once he got back in the car. Booth nodded.

"She said there was no sign of a struggle." He replied. Temperance turned towards him.

"So who's Kyle?" She asked. Booth was silent for a moment and then started the car.

"Honestly Bones, I have no idea."

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_**once again, sorry it took me so long to update. i'm going to (hopefully) begin the next chapter tonight, so it should be up soon.**_

_**review :) **_

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	5. The Escaped Convict

Temperance dropped her keys on the small table beside her door and then collapsed onto the sofa. Booth closed and locked the door before taking a seat beside her. Temperance sighed.

"I wish I could remember something." She told him. Booth placed his arm around her shoulders in a comforting gesture. She was surprised at how natural it felt.

"You will." He assured her. "And besides, you remembered Cam."

"And your relationship with her." Temperance interjected. Booth suddenly looked uncomfortable and pulled his arm away. Almost instantly Temperance wished he wouldn't have.

"I wish I knew who Kyle was." She whispered. Booth nodded.

"You and me both." He muttered. Temperance suddenly looked alarmed.

"I'm not one of those people who pays for--"

"No." Booth interrupted. She noticed he was trying not to laugh—apparently he found the situation amusing. "You don't pay for sex."

Temperance sighed, relieved. Booth's phone suddenly rang and he flipped it open.

"Booth." He answered. His facial expression changed from amused to worried in a matter of seconds.

"What?" He asked concerned, and stood up. He turned his back to her and faced the wall. She wondered if it was because he was hiding something.

"When?" He was silent for a moment and then sighed.

"I understand." He said. She recognized a hint of regret in his voice. He turned back around to face her.

"Call me if you find him." He said into the phone and then closed it and sat back down.

"Who was that?" Temperance asked.

"My boss." He told her and then grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.

"What did he want?" She asked him. She knew she was being nosy, but she didn't care. She wanted to know what upset him so much. Booth shrugged.

"Nothing. It's not important." He told her.

"Your body language says different. You're obviously concerned." She replied. Booth sighed.

"He wanted to tell me that one of the criminals we caught escaped from prison." He told her.

"Oh." Temperance said and then paused for a moment. "If you want to go help track him down, you can. You don't have to stay with me. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Booth smiled.

"I know you are." He stated. "You have a gun twice the size of mine."

"I do?" Temperance asked. She wasn't even aware she knew how to shoot a gun. Booth nodded.

"Yeah." He told her and placed his arm back around her shoulders. "But mine is a whole lot better."

Temperance had the feeling that normally she would've argued this point with him. However, instead of carrying through with this feeling, she leaned into him. It caught him by surprise, but he quickly relaxed and tightened his arm around her.

"I'm sure it is." She told him with the slightest hint of sarcasm in her voice.

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As soon as Temperance walked into the lab the next morning, Zach approached her.

"I really wish you would get your memory back." He told her. "We really need you." Temperance smiled.

"Zach, you're just as capable as I am. And besides, your IQ is well above 163. I know you are capable of working without me." She assured him. She then noticed that everyone in the room had turned to stare at her. She glanced at Angela who was smiling.

"No one told me his IQ, did they?" She asked her. Angela shook her head. Booth walked up behind her and threw an arm around her shoulders.

"I knew you would remember." He whispered.

"I have a theory." Zach interrupted. All eyes turned towards him.

"Go ahead." Hodgins said annoyed when Zach remained silent. Zach nodded.

"There seems to be a pattern in the regaining of her memory. It's almost as if she is the one selecting what to remember. However, she seems to remember the people that are least important to her first." Zach explained.

"What do you mean?" Booth asked, apparently not understanding a word Zach had said. Zach sighed.

"She remembered Cam first because Cam means the least to her out of all of us. Then she remembered me because, although she cares about me, it is only work related and we don't share any aspect of our intimate lives." He said.

"Because you don't have a life." Hodgins interrupted. Zach chose to ignore him and turned back to Booth.

"If I am correct, she will remember Hodgins next, and you and Angela last. She seems to be recovering quickly, and should completely regain her memory in a matter of days." He finished. Temperance heard the familiar ring of Booth's cell phone and watched as he stepped away from them to answer it.

"What's going on?" Angela asked once he was out of earshot. Temperance looked confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Angela stared at Booth.

"He never takes calls away from us—especially you. He tells you everything. Unless…" She trailed off.

"Unless what?" Temperance asked. Angela shook her head.

"Nothing." She said. "Never mind." She began to turn around and walk away but Temperance grabbed her arm.

"Unless what?" She asked Angela who glanced away. "Tell me." She demanded. "Please." Angela sighed.

"Did Booth tell you about the criminal who escaped from prison?" She asked. Temperance nodded.

"What does that have to do with anything?" She asked. Angela frowned.

"A lot." She stated. Temperance was about to ask what she was talking about, but then Angela continued. "Ask Booth." She said. "He should be the one to tell you."

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"I need to talk to you." Temperance said once they arrived back at her apartment that night. She had been waiting to talk to Booth the entire day. She had barely seen him since he answered the phone call earlier that morning. It was almost as if he was avoiding her.

"What's wrong?" Booth asked, concerned. Temperance moved so she was only a foot away from him.

"Who's the criminal that escaped?" She asked him. Booth loosened his tie and took a step away from her.

"Just a guy that we had been after for a while." He said. Temperance shook her head.

"You're lying." She stated. "I know whoever it is means something to me."

"Look, Bones--" He started, but she cut him off.

"Why are you hiding it from me?" She asked angrily. "I trusted you."

Booth looked as if he was contemplating whether or not to tell her and then sighed.

"Sit down." He said and gestured to the sofa. She sat down, and he sat beside her.

"My boss didn't want me to tell you. He didn't think it was a good time." He explained. Temperance didn't speak, but stared at him expectantly.

"Your father was jailed for the murder of an FBI agent--among other things. He's the one who escaped." Booth finally told her.

"My father?" She asked breathlessly. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" She asked angrily and stood up. Booth grabbed her wrist.

"I had to follow orders. Besides, I didn't think you needed this right now." He said.

"So when were you planning on telling me?" She asked. "When I got my memory back?" Booth looked away sheepishly and she knew that meant yes. She grabbed her keys.

"I'm going to Angela's." She spat at him.

"You don't know where Angela's is." He pointed out. They were both yelling.

"Then I'll go to Hodgins'." She yelled back at him and began opening the door.

"You don't know where Hodgins' is either." He told her from across the room. She spun around.

"Yeah?" She asked. "Well, I suddenly just remembered." She said venomously and then walked out and slammed the door. She huffed to her car and was about to open the door when she felt a hand brush lightly against her arm. She turned around and found Booth, his eyes pleading with her not to go.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I should've told you." Temperance nodded.

"Yes, you should have." She told him and then got in the car. She started the ignition and then rolled down her window. Even though she was angry at him, she didn't want to hurt him. She had come to the realization that he meant too much to her.

"I just need time to think, okay?" She asked, though it was more of a statement. She smiled slightly and then drove off towards Hodgins', rolling up the window as she went. She stared at Booth in the rear-view mirror as he watched her drive away. He looked defeated, and Temperance couldn't repress the guilty feeling that formed as he turned and walked away.

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**_sorry if this chapter skipped around a bit. i hope it wasn't too confusing :)_**


	6. Psychological Amnesia

Temperance stood outside Hodgins' estate and knocked loudly on the door. After a few moments the door opened, and there stood Angela.

"Brennan?" She asked surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question." Temperance replied. Angela looked confused for a moment and then sighed.

"I forgot that you don't remember." She said. "I moved in with Hodgins a while ago." She gestured behind her.

"I can go get Hodgins if you want me to." She told Temperance. Temperance shook her head.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you. I just couldn't remember where your house was." She stated. Angela smiled.

"Come in." She said and opened the door wider. Temperance stepped in and found herself in a very large living room. Angela went and sat on the sofa and then gestured for Temperance to join her. Temperance complied and then found herself being stared at by Angela.

"What?" She asked defensively. Angela shook her head.

"I was thinking that maybe you could try hypnosis. You know, to get your memory back. It worked for me." She said.

"You lost your memory?" Temperance asked hopefully. Angela shrugged.

"You could say that." She said and smiled knowingly.

"Who was at the door?" Hodgins yelled from the room beside them and then walked into the living room.

"Oh." He whispered as his eyes met Temperance. His expression then turned smug. "You remembered me, didn't you?" He asked. Temperance nodded. "Then Zach was right." He stated and then paused, annoyed. "I hate it when Zach's right." He muttered.

"Anyway," Angela said, directing Temperance's attention from Hodgins to her. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"My father." Temperance stated bluntly. Angela nodded.

"I figured." She said. "I knew Booth would tell you one way or another." Hodgins went and sat down in a chair beside the couch.

"What is it you want to know?" He asked. Temperance looked down at her hands.

"Everything." She whispered. "Until an hour ago I wasn't even aware I had a father." Angela placed her hand lightly on Temperance's arm.

"His birth name is Max Keenan." Angela explained. "Him and your mother were bank robbers and testified against other robbers in their group. They were forced to go into hiding and change their names. Up until two years ago, you knew him as Matthew Brennan." She finished.

"And my mother?" She asked. Angela turned to Hodgins.

"You knew your mother as Christine Brennan. Her real name was Ruth Keenan." Hodgins said.

"Was?" Temperance asked. Hodgins nodded.

"Your mother was murdered by the hit man of their bank-robbing group. You helped to solve the murder two years ago." He said. Temperance was silent and remained staring straight ahead. Angela motioned to Hodgins.

"Can you give us a moment?" She asked. Hodgins nodded and then walked back into the room beside them. Temperance watched until he was out of sight. She then turned to Angela questioningly. Angela squeezed her hand.

"I know that you didn't just want to talk to me about your father." She said. Temperance smiled slightly.

"Am I that predictable?" She asked. Angela nodded.

"Yes. But only because I've known you for so long." She explained. Temperance sighed.

"It's about Booth." She said.

"Of course it is." Angela replied, smug. Temperance didn't notice her expression and continued.

"How do I feel about him?" She asked. Angela almost laughed at her bluntness.

"I don't know if I should tell you that." Angela said. "It may be best if you remember it for yourself."

"But he cares about me, right?" Temperance asked uncertaintly. Angela nodded.

"Yes." She replied. "Of course."

"More than Cam?" Temperance asked. The questions were so uncharacteristic of her, Angela almost wondered if it was the same Temperance she knew and loved. The woman sitting across from her looked scared and fragile—nothing like the way she usually pictured her best friend.

"I think you should ask Booth." Angela told her. "He can answer that better than me." Temperance sighed.

"I thought you would say that." She replied. She stood up and walked to the door. Angela followed closely behind.

"Sorry I interrupted your night." Temperance said. Angela shrugged it off.

"You know that you can come anytime." She said. Temperance nodded.

"Thanks." She whispered and then began walking back towards her car. She had barely taken three steps when she heard Angela's voice.

"Brennan?" She asked. Temperance turned around.

"You remember me, don't you?" She asked. Temperance nodded.

"Yes." She replied. "I do."

Angela bit her lip and watched as Temperance pulled out of the driveway.

"Ange?" Hodgins asked from behind her. Angela shut the door and turned around.

"I think her amnesia is more psychological than anything else." She said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Hodgins asked, obviously confused. Angela sighed.

"I think she remembers everything but what was previously conflicting in her life." Hodgins nodded as realization suddenly dawned on him.

"Like her father." He stated. Angela nodded.

"Like her father." She repeated, and then stared out the window at the place where Temperance's car had previously been.

_But I was thinking more along the lines of her relationship with Booth. _She thought to herself.

* * *

**_hmm...so I'm thinking there's going to be two more chapters to this story. There may be more, I just haven't decided yet._**

**_review please :)_**


	7. The Truth

Temperance walked grudgingly into her apartment and watched as Booth stirred from his sleeping position on the couch.

"I wasn't sure if you were coming back." He said as he sat up. Temperance nodded and then proceeded to lock the door as slow as humanly possible. She wasn't sure how to start a conversation and the whole situation felt rather awkward.

"Did you go to Hodgins'?" He asked as she placed her keys on the table. He didn't turn to look at her. Temperance once again nodded.

"Angela was there." She stated. When Booth didn't reply she continued.

"They told me about my father." Booth nodded. Temperance noticed he was acting strange and it worried her. No matter what she said, he hadn't made a comment. She walked around the couch so that she was facing him.

"If anyone should be mad it's me. You're the one who chose not to tell me about my father." She said, her voice slightly raised. Booth stood up.

"I was protecting you." He said irritably.

"From what?" She asked. "It's not like he's going to hurt me. He's my father." Booth sighed, and she could tell he was frustrated.

"You don't understand." He said quietly. "But it's fine, because I'm tired of trying to explain it." He said and then started to walk towards the door. Temperance moved quickly and planted her body directly in front of the door in an effort to prevent him from leaving.

"No." She said forcefully. "I want you to explain it. I want to know why you're the only one I can't remember." Booth backed away from the door.

"Don't you think I would've already told you if I knew?" He asked her angrily. Temperance looked away.

"Zach said—"

"I know what Zach said." Booth whispered. Temperance took a step forward.

"And he was right?" She asked. Booth shrugged.

"He usually is." He said his expression emotionless. Temperance's hand shook as she placed it lightly on Booth's arm.

"Then I care the most about you." She stated in her usual factual tone. Her hand grasped his as she closed the distance between them. It took all of his willpower to push her away, but he managed. He dropped her hand and took a step backwards.

"You're not yourself." He whispered and resumed his earlier walk towards the door. He turned around before reaching for the door knob.

"All you know is that if Zach is right, you care more about me than anyone else in your life." He said.

"But you can't remember why." He continued. "You don't know the first thing about me, and I know everything about you."

"I…" He trailed off for a moment, but then resumed in a whisper.

"I love you." He stated. "But not this you. I love who you were when you remembered me, and if I can't have that…I'm not sure I want anything at all."

"I have amnesia." Temperance protested angrily. "It's not like I can just suddenly remember you." Booth turned around.

"You want to know what I think?" He asked and continued without waiting for a response. "I don't think that amnesia has anything to do with the fact that you can't remember me."

"What?" Temperance asked. "Why?" Booth sighed and turned back around.

"Because maybe the truth is, you don't want to remember." He whispered and then walked out of the door. Temperance watched as he disappeared and the door closed with a slam. A picture on the table beside the couch fell and she walked over to pick it up. A male in his late twenties stared back at her. She dropped the photograph quickly as a flashback came to her.

_The clock reads 11:30 and Temperance stands facing the door in her office. The Jeffersonian is in complete darkness, save for the faint light coming from the lamp on her desk. A slightly older version of the male from the photograph stands in front of her desk, staring directly at her silhouette. Temperance is clutching a folder tightly to her chest—it was as if her life depended on it. She notices that the man doesn't seem hostile. However, she recognizes a certain desperateness in his tone and expression._

"_I'm sorry, Tempe." He says and she begins to turn around when she feels something hard come in contact with the back of her head. She hears something shatter and her eyelids involuntarily close. The last thing she remembers is the folder slipping silently from her grasp._

Temperance broke away from her reverie and looked down at the shattered frame that held the photograph of her attacker. She picked up the photograph and turned it over. It looked as if a letter had been written, but most of it was smudged and illegible. However, she was able to make out the last two lines. At the very bottom in familiar handwriting and blue ink was the inscription--

_Love,_

_Russ_

* * *

**_i'm sorry that the chapters are getting shorter & shorter. next chapter should be really long though._**

**_i hope you enjoyed this one :)_**


	8. Daffodils

"Where's Booth?" Temperance asked Angela when she arrived at the Jeffersonian the next day. Angela looked up from her drawing.

"He didn't come with you?" She asked. Temperance shook her head.

"We had a fight last night and he left." She answered. Angela looked concerned and stood up.

"I haven't seen him, but I only got here half an hour ago." She told Temperance. She then walked out of her office, and Temperance followed quickly behind. They walked into the lab where Zach and Hodgins were examining the remains of a skeleton.

"Have you seen Booth?" Angela asked them. Zach looked up.

"He came by about an hour ago. He told me to tell everyone goodbye." He said.

"Goodbye?" Temperance asked. Zach nodded.

"He said something about taking a trip to California. He said he had to get away."

"When is he leaving?" Angela asked. Zach shrugged.

"He didn't elaborate."

Temperance grabbed her cell phone out of her purse and flipped it open. She scrolled through her contacts before finding Booth's number. As it dialed she whispered,

"Please don't be gone."

After three rings she heard his voice.

"_Bones?" _He asked.

"Don't leave yet." She pleaded.

"_Bones, Listen. I—"_

"I need to talk to you." She said. "Please."

She heard him sigh.

"_Fine." He replied. "I'll be there in ten minutes."_

The line went dead and Temperance walked into her office to wait. She shut the door and sat on the couch. After a few minutes of replaying her earlier flashback in her head, she heard a knock on the door. Booth walked in without waiting for her to answer. She noticed that it looked as if he hadn't slept the previous night.

"Why are you leaving?" She asked him. He ran his fingers frustratingly through his hair.

"You know why." He replied and adjusted his tie. She somehow knew that it was one of his nervous habits.

"Do you really think that your leaving is going to help me remember?" She asked desperately. He shook his head.

"I'm not sure if you'll ever remember." He replied in a whisper.

"Why?" She asked. Booth sighed.

"Because you're scared of losing me." He said. "You're afraid I'm going to leave you just like everyone else did."

"Isn't that what you're doing?" She asked. "Leaving?" Booth shook his head.

"I'll be back. Whenever you decide to remember, I'll be here." He paused. "I'm not giving up on us." He whispered. He turned to walk out the door but she stopped him.

"Wait." She whispered and pulled out the photograph of Russ.

"This is who attacked me." She told him as she handed him the photograph. The instant Booth looked down at the photograph his expression changed to surprise and anger.

"This is your…" He trailed off as if realization suddenly hit him. "How could I not have seen this earlier?" He asked himself.

"Seen what?" Temperance asked thoroughly confused.

"This is Kyle." Booth replied. Temperance took the photograph back and turned it over.

"But it says Russ." She told him. Booth nodded and sat down.

"Russ is your brother." He told her. "His birth name is Kyle Keenan."

"Why would my brother—" She started to ask, but stopped when it all came back to her.

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_Temperance cursed under her breath as she realized how late it was. She was already an hour late to meet Booth. She quickly cleaned up the lab and then went into her office to grab her coat. The bouquet of red roses she had received earlier that day sat on her desk, and she smiled when she saw them._

_She hadn't even had to ask who they were from when she received them from the delivery boy. Russ sent her flowers every year on the same day. It was the day he had left her when she was fifteen, and she guessed it was his way of apologizing. She was surprised he had actually managed to send them this year, what with him supposed to be in hiding. She had never told Booth about the flowers, but then again he had never asked. It was her own secret, and the reason why daffodils were her favorite flower. They were the first flowers Russ had ever sent her. _

_She suddenly heard the door click open as she stood behind her desk. She turned, expecting to see Booth, but instead found a disheveled looking Russ._

"_Russ?" She asked surprised. "What are you doing here?" Russ looked behind him as if to check and make sure no one was following._

"_I need dad's file." He told her in a whisper. Temperance looked down at the folder that sat on top of her desk. How did he know she had it?_

"_Why?" She asked him. Russ once again looked behind his shoulder and then closed the door softly._

"_They're after him again." He whispered. "They're going to kill him unless I break him out."_

_Temperance's eyes widened slightly._

"_You're going to break him out of jail?" She asked incredulously. Russ nodded._

"_If I don't he's going to die." He replied. Temperance shook her head._

"_The jail is heavily guarded. Nothing's going to happen to him." She said. Russ took a step closer to her._

"_Are you telling me you've never seen anyone murdered from inside a jail cell?" He asked. Temperance sighed. She knew it was possible—especially for the type of guys who usually wanted her father dead._

"_Why do you need the file?" She asked him. "You can't destroy the information. The FBI has it all on record."_

"_I don't know what cell he's in." Russ replied. "And besides, there __**are**__ ways of getting rid of the file completely. You just have to know how."_

"_I'm not aiding in a criminal action. I don't want the life that you and Max chose." Temperance told him. She picked up the file and walked past him to the door of her office and peeked out of the blinds. When she saw that it was clear, she faced him once again._

"_You should go." She whispered. "Booth will be by any second."_

"_I'm not leaving without the file." Russ replied stubbornly. Temperance sighed._

"_If Booth finds you here, he'll arrest you." She said. "It's his job."_

_Just then Temperance heard Booth's voice calling her name. She peeked back out of the blinds and saw his figure approaching the lab._

"_Go!" She whispered fiercely without turning around. She heard Russ's footsteps approach her and his strained whisper._

"_I'm sorry, Tempe." He said and then the world faded into darkness._

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After Temperance finished recounting the incident to Booth, she sat down in disbelief.

"It's not his fault." She whispered. "He was just trying to save Max." She paused and looked down at her hands. "I should've given him the file." She whispered. Booth shook his head and sat down beside her.

"Don't blame yourself, Bones." He told her. "You did the right thing." Temperance nodded, but a look of sadness crossed her face.

"I guess you're going after him now, right?" She asked him quietly. Booth shook his head.

"As far as I'm concerned, you never told me it was Russ." He replied. Temperance turned and looked at him questioningly.

"Why would you do that?" She asked him incredulously. Booth brushed a strand of hair back from her face with his fingertips.

"Some things are more important to me than my job." He told her and then stood up. He walked to the door and opened it before taking one last glance at her.

"My plane leaves at 10:00 tomorrow morning." He told her quietly and then exited her office. Her heart told her to go after him, but her head told her that he would just end up hurting her. Temperance watched him walk away and then got up and shut the door softly. She leaned her back against the door and sighed deeply.

* * *

**_so...hopefully this chapter made since to everyone :)_**

**_i'm pretty sure the next chapter is going to be the last one._**


	9. Memories & Realizations

Temperance lay in her bed staring at the ceiling. The numbers on her alarm clock seemed a million times brighter than usual. To her, they were counting down the minutes she had to run to Booth and tell him to stay.

**8:55**—1 hour and 5 minutes. She was tired and cranky, mostly because she hadn't slept since the night before. So what if Booth was right? Maybe she didn't want to remember him. All the more reason to go to sleep, right? She turned her body away from the alarm clock and closed her eyes.

"_I'm not giving up on us."_ Booth's voice echoed in her mind. Temperance sighed and turned back over.

**9:00**—she sighed once more. This was going to be the longest hour of her life. She got up from the bed, convinced that she wasn't going to get any sleep, and walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water. On the way, she passed the table with the pictures on it and deliberately tried to ignore the ones with Booth in them. She took three steps and then stopped suddenly and turned back around. She decided that her willpower was incredibly lacking this morning. The photographs of Booth and her seemed to stand out among the rest, and she noticed how happy they had seemed.

She knew that she was going to miss him more than she had originally thought. Maybe even more than she had ever missed anyone or anything.

Bits and pieces of memories of Booth had flashed through her mind for the past week, but she had pushed them aside. She had written them off as unimportant details of a life she once knew.

Now, however, they seemed to be the only thing she could think about. Subtle touches and a smile that he reserved only for her came to her immediate memory. She knew, however, that these were more of revelations than actual memories. Temperance had never been good at noticing things or reading into people's emotions. Now that she knew he loved her, she viewed everything slightly different. The reason that he was always there to save her wasn't his alpha-male tendency anymore. It was now the fact that he had wanted her to live, so that he could be with her.

She now wondered if everything had been because of that.

Had he called her into the field with him just because he needed her? Or was it because he had wanted her close to him?

Her mind was suddenly filled with more memories and questions than she could handle, and she formed a slight headache. She remembered standing at the altar with Booth, though she wasn't in a wedding dress.

"_What do we do now?"_ Was her question, and she had briefly considered actually exchanging vows with the man standing beside her.

When had it changed? When did the man she viewed as her partner become the man she viewed as the reason her life had purpose? She figured the realization had been recent, but that the feelings had been there since the day they had met.

A sudden memory of another man, one who she had been apt to sail away with, flooded her mind. That was when she realized exactly when she knew how she felt about Booth. She couldn't stand the thought of being away from him, even if it was only for a week. A year would've killed her. The stupid psychologist had known this, but lied to Booth for some unknown reason. A part of her almost wished he had told Booth the truth.

Maybe then she wouldn't be in this position, and Booth wouldn't be leaving. If only she could admit her feelings to him, everything would be okay.

Yes, she realized, Booth was right. The memories had always been there, she was just hiding them from herself. Her biggest fear was to end up alone, and that's where she figured her life was going. She was afraid of commitment, of relationships, of love. She felt that if you gave your heart to someone, it was just like giving them permission to hurt you.

The only thing was; she knew Booth wouldn't hurt her. Not now—not ever. That's what made him different from all the rest. He cared about her, protected her…_loved her._

And she loved him.

The realization hit her suddenly and she grabbed her coat. The clock on the microwave said **9:40**. She hoped twenty minutes would be enough.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Temperance looked down at her watch as she practically ran into the airport. If it was correct, the time was 9:57 and she had three minutes to get Booth. She knew, however, that the plane usually boarded fifteen minutes before lift-off. She pulled out her cell phone and prayed to whatever God Booth believed in that he would answer his cell phone. After three rings, he did.

"Bones?" His voice said on the other line. She noticed he sounded close, as if he was only standing a few feet away from her. She turned to her right and found him sitting in a chair in the middle of a row of seats. She hung up the phone as he walked towards her.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"You can't leave." She answered automatically. Booth nodded.

"I know." He said and then gestured to the board above him. "My flight is delayed." Sure enough, beside the word California was DELAYED in bright red letters. Temperance shook her head.

"No." She said. "I mean you can't leave--ever."

"Bones-" He began to protest, but Temperance cut him off.

"I remembered." She told him and then looked down. "You were right...I was afraid." Booth, for once, seemed speechless and looked torn between saying something and remaining silent. Temperance pulled out the letter she had wrote to him when she was buried alive. She handed it to Booth who took it before giving her a confused look.

"You weren't supposed to read this unless I died, but I think under the circumstances, it's the best thing for me to do." She told him and then looked down at her hands. "I've never been good at expressing my feelings, and well..." She trailed off. Booth read the letter as Temperance watched in anticipation. He turned it over to read the last few words of the letter. When he looked up, his eyes held more emotion than she thought was possible.

"Bones, I-" He began, but seemed unable to finish.

"I know you want me to tell you I love you, because that's what you believe makes a relationship," she started, "but love is really just a word used as a label for the emotions people feel when endorphins react with certain-"

"Bones." Booth said forcibly. "Shut-up." He pulled her face to his in one swift motion and crashed his lips to hers. At first the kiss was hungry, as if he was afraid that it wasn't real, and he wanted to make the most of the time he had. However, the kiss became softer and sweeter as he realized that it wasn't a dream, and she wasn't going anywhere. It broke off into short, light kisses and then he rested his forehead against hers.

"I can't believe we waited this long." He told her with the smile that he reserved only for her. She laughed and pulled away slightly.

"Come on." He said and placed his hand on the small of her back. "You can help me with my bags." They walked together to the baggage claim and grabbed Booth's luggage.

"So...no California?" She asked him jokingly. Booth smiled.

"Are you kidding me?" He asked. "After all that?" He turned towards her and gestured to his bags. "Your place or mine?" He asked. Temperance smiled and shook her head as Booth intertwined her hand with his.

"There will be no living with Angela after this." She said and leaned against him. He laughed and wrapped his arm protectively around her waist as they walked to her car. She smiled as she realized that this was where she belonged. Wherever Booth was, there she knew she would follow.

* * *

_I enjoyed writing this story tremendously, and I hope you liked reading it just as much. I want to thank all my reviewers for their wonderful support._

_A special thanks goes to _**_DemonSong10_**_ who, although we do think alike on some things, gave me the idea to have Booth leave and the idea for the conclusion. You've been an amazing help and this story wouldn't have been the same without you._


End file.
